'Worrying' data shows about 33% of B40 group detected with non-communicable disease via PeKA B40 health screening — MoH

KUALA LUMPUR (July 6): The Ministry of Health (MoH) reported a total of 151,729 people or 33% out of the 457,462 recipients of the Skim Peduli Kesihatan untuk B40 (PeKa B40), who underwent health screening under this scheme, have been diagnosed with at least one non-communicable disease. 

This “worrying data”, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba noted, is based on the PeKa B40 2019-2020 Report launched today. 

“This number involves the B40 Group who previously never knew they had non-communicable diseases such as diabetes (10.4%), high cholesterol (29.8%), high blood pressure (13.8%), mental problems such as depression (1.6%) and anxiety (1.4%) other than obesity problems and so on. Prior to undergoing the PeKa B40 health screening, they had never undergone such health screening, let alone seek follow-up treatment,” the minister said in a statement today. 

He pointed out that PeKa B40 is a government initiative to provide the less fortunate long-term healthcare, and is managed by ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd (ProtectHealth), which is non-profit subsidiary wholly owned by the Ministry of Health (MoH) that provides four benefits, namely Health Screening, Health Aid up to RM20,000, Completing Cancer Treatment Incentive amounting to RM1,000 and Transport Incentive up to RM1,000.

The scheme focuses on non-communicable diseases and is free to all recipients of Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH)/Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPR) as well as their spouses aged 40 years and above, Adham Baba noted.

He added that a total of RM62.5 million has been spent to help early detection of non-communicable diseases of the B40 Group. Of the amount, RM38.5 million was spent on Health Screening benefits which include taking health history, physical examination, mental health screening, breast and prostate screening and urine and blood tests, he noted.   

“For the Health Aid benefit, a total of RM20.9 million was spent to fund the application of 10 types of medical devices, namely stents for the heart, artificial joints, hearing aids, pacemakers, prostheses and implants for the spine, prostheses and orthoses of limb bones, lenses for cataract patients, respiratory therapy devices and oxygen concentrators, nutritional support aids, and wheelchairs,” the health minister said.  

“Through its expertise in making strategic purchasing, ProtectHealth has successfully negotiated the price for Drug Eluting Stent (DES) for PeKa B40 recipients, resulting in savings of more than RM10 million for the government,” he added. 

Through the benefit of the Completing Cancer Treatment Incentive, which was created to encourage cancer patients to complete prescribed treatment, the minister said a total of RM1.6 million was spent. 

A total of RM1.5 million has been spent for the period up to Dec 31, 2020 with regards to the Transport Incentive benefit, he added.

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